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World's biggest beer fest launched Saturday, September 21, 2002 Posted: 1758 GMT
An Oktoberfest waitress carries beersteins to thirsty customers
MUNICH, Germany, (Reuters) -- Beer lovers wearing traditional Bavarian costumes have raised their glasses to open Munich's Oktoberfest, the world's biggest beer festival.
Around seven million beer devotees are expected to crowd the 14 cavernous beer tents during the 16-day festival and the thirsty hordes are set to quaff around five million litres of strong Bavarian lager.
Munich mayor Christian Ude, wearing Bavarian leather shorts, or lederhosen, cracked open the first 200-litre keg at noon on Saturday with a hammer and shouted "O'zapft is" -- the keg is tapped.
There were loud cheers before the beer fans settled down to concentrate on the annual orgy of lager-guzzling.
Everyone agreed the atmosphere was much better than last year's festival, which was nearly cancelled after the September 11 attacks.
Fewer visitors and a sombre note last year made for a subdued Oktoberfest, itself the victim of a bomb attack in 1980 in which 13 people died, but there were few signs of residual gloom at this year's event.
"The spirit has not changed, it's incredible. Last year was pretty subdued, but this year there's a throng of people. And security has been increased, which I'm glad to see," said Peter Valdivia, a Canadian computer animator living in Munich.
Already one of Germany's richest cities, the Oktoberfest usually injects nearly one billion euros ($980 million) into Munich's local economy and provides work for 14,000 people.
Dancing on tables In the huge beer tents, each holding up to 10,000 people, thousands danced on long wooden tables, holding aloft one-litre beer glasses and devoured chickens and legs of pork.
"People are happier this year. I think in a way they needed last year to happen to help them realise how good it's been since the terrible bomb attack in 1980. The people are nicer," said Annie Cameron of the Munich Caledonian Association.
The Oktoberfest started life in 1810 as a five-day festival to celebrate the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildenburghausen and has since turned into a festival of excess which has no equal in the world.
Strong Bavarian lager is the order of the day in Munich
A lederhosen-clad Michael Koch, who works for a logistics firm, was celebrating his 50th Oktoberfest.
"This is great, totally extraordinary. It's my 50th Oktoberfest this year and it seems like a return to form after last year, which was subdued," he said between sips of beer.
A litre of beer at the Oktoberfest this year will set you back up to 6.80 euros ($6.67) but few were complaining.
"The beer is special, the women are gorgeous, the atmosphere is good. This is my first Oktoberfest and it's awesome," said Rory MacFarlane, 22, a student from Johannesburg.
The 169th Oktoberfest takes place against the backdrop of a general election on September 22 and Bavaria's popular premier Edmund Stoiber is standing as chancellor candidate for the opposition conservatives.
Wearing a traditional Bavarian felt jacket, Stoiber arrived to loud chants of "Edi, Edi" before taking the first beer from the Social Democrat mayor Ude.
"I hope to come back next year and have a beer poured for me as chancellor," Stoiber said.
But most visitors were not at the Oktoberfest to watch the election campaign unravel.
Ceri Lamb, 25, had travelled from Perth in Australia to down some of Munich's famed amber nectar.
"This beats the stuff we get back home. The beer seems to be strong, but ask me again in a couple of hours if that's a good or a bad thing," he said.